Corsair TX650 buzzing noise

[PC T]

I have a Corsair TX650 since 2009 running on my system (AMD 1055T@3,38Ghz, Club3d 7870@1ghz, 1 SSD, 1 HDD)
Since a few months every now and again the PSU makes a soft buzzing noise and tapping the pc on the top where the PSU is often makes this noise go away for a while.
It doesn`t sound like the fan and all my HW monitoring software shows the PSU is giving stable voltages. The system has not been used 24/7, but handled many hundreds of hours of gaming and more than a thousand start-ups and shutdowns.
My system itself seems stable and during stress tests the voltages don`t jump up and down.

At which stage would it be wise to replace the power supply?
My motherboard has surge protection, which should offer some protection from PSU failure,
or do I understand that incorrectly?

Any help is appreciated

 

[toyftw]

I have a Corsair TX650 since 2009 running on my system (AMD 1055T@3,38Ghz, Club3d 7870@1ghz, 1 SSD, 1 HDD)
Since a few months every now and again the PSU makes a soft buzzing noise and tapping the pc on the top where the PSU is often makes this noise go away for a while.
It doesn`t sound like the fan and all my HW monitoring software shows the PSU is giving stable voltages. The system has not been used 24/7, but handled many hundreds of hours of gaming and more than a thousand start-ups and shutdowns.
My system itself seems stable and during stress tests the voltages don`t jump up and down.

At which stage would it be wise to replace the power supply?
My motherboard has surge protection, which should offer some protection from PSU failure,
or do I understand that incorrectly?

Any help is appreciated

Hi - It would be prudent given the 6yrs of gaming usage you upgrade when you can afford to
do so.

The PSU itself has protection features built in to shut down in the event of spikes/surges.

The noise is probably(could be something else tho) coil whine and if it's tolerable, live with it
and start saving to renew/upgrade.

 

[PC T]

Thanks for replying!
If the rest of the components are safe when the PSU eventually does cut out, then I have no problem to use it untill it wears out. But if the noise gets worse or the system starts crashing, then I will replace it right away. My next step will be to upgrade MB, Ram, CPU and then I`m hoping to find a second 7870 to pair with my current one. At that stage I will have to replace the PSU. But currently I can run most games on a mix of high and ultra. And I`m hoping to make the Phenom II last untill the replacement of the FX-series is here.

Thanks for pointing out that besides the MB, the PSU also has protection against surges.

 

[toyftw]

Thanks for replying!
If the rest of the components are safe when the PSU eventually does cut out, then I have no problem to use it untill it wears out. But if the noise gets worse or the system starts crashing, then I will replace it right away. My next step will be to upgrade MB, Ram, CPU and then I`m hoping to find a second 7870 to pair with my current one. At that stage I will have to replace the PSU. But currently I can run most games on a mix of high and ultra. And I`m hoping to make the Phenom II last untill the replacement of the FX-series is here.

Thanks for pointing out that besides the MB, the PSU also has protection against surges.

Hi again - From Corsair's site on the TX 650:
Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum safety for your critical system components.

 

[PC T]

Sounds good! Good to know the PSU is equipped with all this protection.
I also found out on the corsair website that the PSU is rated for 100,000 hours between failures
That comes down to 11,42 years of non-stop use. I might be allright with this PSU for now, but we will see how long it will last. I have been reading into wear of the PSU, meaning it will lose some amps through the years. But I recently calculated my system as needing about 450W. I don`t think the TX650 would have lost that much power over the years. as the power output on the 12V rail alone is 54amps (when new), about 648W. And thats on the 12V rail alone.

 

[toyftw]

Sounds good! Good to know the PSU is equipped with all this protection.
I also found out on the corsair website that the PSU is rated for 100,000 hours between failures
That comes down to 11,42 years of non-stop use. I might be allright with this PSU for now, but we will see how long it will last. I have been reading into wear of the PSU, meaning it will lose some amps through the years. But I recently calculated my system as needing about 450W. I don`t think the TX650 would have lost that much power over the years. as the power output on the 12V rail alone is 54amps (when new), about 648W. And thats on the 12V rail alone.

Hi - Yes, there is some loss of power to capacitor aging, but as you already discovered this model
had a lot of +12v amps for a 650w total. And the +12v is where the power is needed. The CPU, GPU,
HDD, etc., all draw their current from the +12v rail.

So stay with it until it gives you a reason to change, but if it were me I'd start saving for that possibility.
Most PSU's state 100,000 MTBF, but if you are a gamer don't expect that.

You have a good unit, if you can live with the slight buzzing, stay with it. There will be signs when it nears it's end.

 

[PC T]

Thanks for your help.
At the moment I don`t mind the slight buzzing and mostly it doesn`t buzz
I will continue to use this PSU for the moment, but as soon as it gets unstable with gaming or torture tests then I will replace it straight away

 

[toyftw]

Thanks for your help.
At the moment I don`t mind the slight buzzing and mostly it doesn`t buzz
I will continue to use this PSU for the moment, but as soon as it gets unstable with gaming or torture tests then I will replace it straight away

Enjoy!

 

[PC T]

In the last month the buzzing noise has gone completely.
It might have had something to do with the higher ambient temperature in the summer months.
Let`s hope it stays this way and I`ll see next summer if the noise comes back (if PSU/system lasts that long)

 

[toyftw]

In the last month the buzzing noise has gone completely.
It might have had something to do with the higher ambient temperature in the summer months.
Let`s hope it stays this way and I`ll see next summer if the noise comes back (if PSU/system lasts that long)

GR8!

 

[PC T]

I would like to add that the Corsair TX650 died in June 2016, 2 months short of 7 years of age.
I guess it must have had a short circuit because it blew the fuse in my main fusebox. When I turned the fuse back on the PC wouldn`t start up at all and no light came on network adapter or motherboard.
This happened when I powered the system on in the morning.

The PSU has been replaced by a new one and all system component are fine. So I guess it paid off to have used it for another year since the buzzing noise started. But it was a clear sign that the end was coming for that PSU. And like I pretty much expected the hotter ambient temperatures at this time of year must have had it`s effect